Hudson boys basketball tops Blissfield for 1st LCAA win

Wednesday

Jan 30, 2013 at 3:00 PM

By John KoserDaily Telegram Sports Writer

HUDSON — The Hudson High School boys basketball team snapped an 11-game losing streak, defeating Lenawee County Athletic Association rival Blissfield 59-46 on Tuesday night. The victory also marked Hudson's first league win this season.

"We played really well as a team," said Hudson coach Wayne Perry. "We had a lot of different contributors tonight. It feels good to get a win."

Hudson (2-11, 1-8 LCAA) did not get off to a hot start. The Tigers opened the game with back-to-back turnovers and allowed Blissfield (3-10, 2-7 LCAA) to take a quick 6-0 lead. The Royals soon extended their lead to 9-2.

Blissfield's hot start was due in part to the team's outside shooting. The Royals hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter and finished the game with eight triples.

Hudson fought back, pounding the ball inside to the duo of Dan Komarynski and Justin Boies. The Tigers also found success in fast breaks, using their speed to beat the Royals down the court for easy baskets. Before long, the Tigers tied the game at 17 as the opening quarter came to an end.

"Its huge for us to have Justin Boies back in the lineup," said Perry. "He's got a big frame and gives us a presence down low on offense and defense."

The second quarter seemed to be more of a race than a basketball game at times. Both teams pushed the pace as the quarter wore on, sprinting up and down the court.

The Royals continued to hit from deep, making another three 3s to give them six in the first half. All of Blissfield's deep shots came from either Cody Wulf or Jacob Kopka, and the duo combined for 20 of Blissfield's 30 first-half points.

The Tigers continued to spread the ball around on offense, with three players having more than six points at the half. Blissfield led 30-29 at the break.

Hudson, which has struggled in the third quarter most of the season, came out fired up. The Tigers drew four fouls in the first two minutes, two going against Zech Bostick, forcing him to sit the rest of the quarter. Hudson went on a 7-0 run to start the quarter.

"We've done a better job in the second half over the last few games," Perry said.

Blissfield struggled at the beginning of the quarter, but warmed up as the frame went on. The Royals couldn't find the same success from behind the arc they had in the first half, but a late 6-0 run put them right behind Hudson 43-42 at the end of the third.

"We played really hard tonight," said Blissfield coach John Vandecaveye. "We did what we had to do out there. I give a lot of credit to Hudson. They played a solid game."

The fourth quarter was all Hudson.

Hudson started off strong with Cody Nelson scoring four straight points and taking back-to-back charges for the Tigers. The Royals committed their seventh foul of the half shortly after, sending Hudson to the line for the rest of the game.

"A big reason we won was because we made our free throws in the fourth," said Perry. "We were 8-for-12 in the fourth."

Hudson's defense was aggressive, feeding off the team's energy. The Tigers shut down the Royals, holding them scoreless until there was less than three minutes left and only allowed four points in the final quarter.

"It happens," Vandecaveye said. "We really struggled in the fourth quarter and needed to make a few more shots. We only shot four free throws to their 21. It didn't help that we were playing without Connor [Vandecaveye] for the second straight game."

Hudson managed to close out the game successfully, earning a 59-46 victory.

Hudson was led by Logan Milligan, who finished with 13 points. Bubba Williams scored 12 points, while Komarynski had nine. Boies finished with eight points, and Shay McDaniel added seven points for the Tigers.

"It was a team effort tonight," said Milligan. "Everything finally came together for us."

Kopka led all scorers with 15 points, all of them coming from 3s, and added five assists. Wulf finished with 13 points, while Jordan Willson had six points and six rebounds. Dakota Suiter had six points, and Bostick added four rebounds for the Royals.

Hudson will travel to face LCAA foe Hillsdale on Friday, while Blissfield will visit Dundee for an LCAA matchup.